Professional Writing Reflection Post

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This is a blog post for my "Professional Writing" class at Full Sail University. I have structured this post as if it were an interview to keep everything organized and easy to follow. Please note that the question numbers follow those given in the assignment and do skip some numbers. Thank you.

Question 1: You've worked on quite a few types of professional writing this month. How will you use the skills you've practiced in your future classes? Then, think further ahead: How will you use these skills in your career?

Answer: Two of the skills I worked on this month seem like the will be extremely helpful in my future classes and career. The first skill I know will be useful is writing in a professional tone. Being professional in my classes is extremely important here at Full Sail University, as we do get a grade based off of our professionalism every month. With the skill of writing in a professional tone, I can avoid getting point deductions for the way I write to my professors and to my classmates on discussion posts. The second skill that I believe will be useful is using proper email format. This skill is very important for me because at the start of each month I have to email each of my professors to discuss accommodations for my learning disability. Both of these skills will be very helpful in my future career and can be used for emailing about job interviews, working with clients, hiring people for a company, conversations with record labels or managers, and really anything else that is typically discussed via email in the music industry.

Question 2: Now that you've completed the course, how has your idea of how you represent yourself thorough writing in the professional world changed?

Answer: Prior to this course, I always felt that I presented myself as very timid and inexperienced when writing emails that need a professional tone. In some cases, I would even feel that I sounded too aggressive or mean in my emails dealing with negative topics. After completing this course, I now feel that even when I'm discussing negative topics in my writing, I still sound very calm and put together and have more confidence in what I'm writing about. I no longer sound like a scared, fresh out of high school, teenager, instead I sound like a confident adult who knows how to be professional when needed.

Question 4: Name one specific, concrete skill you practiced this month that you will continue to use. How will you use this in the future?

Answer: The skill I practiced this month that I will continue to use is, the ability to send and respond to negative messages in a professional way. I know that in the future bad news and rejections are inevitable, and even though it may upset me, I can't let those emotions come across in my emails. Responding to negativity in an emotional way could ruin future opportunities and burn bridges that can't be rebuilt. The music industry is a small and harsh industry, so one unprofessional and emotional response could keep me from getting better opportunities in the future.

Question 6: Turn a critical eye toward your writing. What do you feel is your greatest area to grow in? How will you work on this skill after you leave this class?

Answer: In my opinion, the area I need to grow the most in is knowing exactly how much detail is enough in my writing. I have a bad habit of including too much detail when I get excited about the topic I'm writing about. In earlier years of schooling, I was taught that the more detail used, the better, but in writing professionally that isn't always the case. Sometimes, you should leave some of the details out to grab the readers attention and make them keep reading, and other times specific details are necessary so that the recipient knows exactly what they are getting themselves into. My problem is knowing which situations need what amount of detail to be effective, and making sure none of the details are irrelevant. I will work on improving this aspect of my writing by doing some research and making sure to proof read, and then revise, my work and having others give me some constructive feedback if I'm unsure of some of the changes.